Filipinos who work tirelessly abroad only wish for their loved ones back home to experience the comforts life has to offer. This is why many Filipinos aim to secure investments, including properties – to help secure a better future for their families.
In the case of Sanofi’s Communications and CSR Director Jorhie Alban, it all started with a simple childhood dream – which she shared in front of fellow Filipino expats during the recently held Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition 2019.
“My real estate investment journey started with a dream. Sabi nga nila, everything starts with a vision or a dream. 20 years back, and even earlier than that when I was a kid, I actually grew up in a very remote village that’s far from the city and whenever we pass by the city, makikita namin ng mother ko yung mga naggagandahang mga apartment buildings and I told my mom then that I really hope to have at least one.
“My mom told me, ‘Why are you hoping for one? You can dream of having as many as you’d like to have, as long as you work hard for it!’. That’s the very start of the journey.
Alban said that her dream was fulfilled when she managed to finally buy her first property after she saved enough money to purchase a lot that her father scouted for her. “My very first property was a 350 square meter (sq.m) residential lot and it was actually bought through the help of my father. He was the one who scouted the area for a property that is already going to be foreclosed kasi yun yung mga mura na mga property. So the value of the property at the time was Php 10,000 per sq.m. but we only bought it for Php 4,000 per sq.m. – and that started my journey and I’m very thankful that I took that step.
It all starts with a dream
To date, Alban now has more than 20 investments in various forms – including properties, real estate, and businesses in the Philippines and the UAE. She hopes to inspire fellow Filipino expats to dream big and envision a better life for themselves and their families back home by daring to make a bold move to invest and to continue learning how to invest. “First I dreamt, I had a vision. I had courage and I took a bold step to actually start it. It would not have been possible also if I did not have a good support system – an encouragement from my mom and of course the support of my father. Until now, my father is like my property manager so to speak. He’s also into real estate and my family and I, we’re all learning together.
Watch her video here:
